Berlin Film Festival Calls for Lifting Restrictions on Iranian Filmmakers Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Maqdami

On Thursday, February 1, the Berlin Film Festival issued a statement calling for the lifting of restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic on Iranian filmmakers Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Maqdami. Their film, titled 'My Favorite Cake,' has been selected to participate in the main competitive section of the 74th Berlin Festival, while they have been banned from leaving the country due to accusations of 'propaganda against the regime and actions against national security.' The Berlin Film Festival's statement noted that the Islamic Republic has confiscated the passports of Sanaeiha and Maqdami, rendering them unable to travel, and they are being prosecuted for their artistic and cinematic activities. The statement emphasized that the Berlinale is committed to freedom of expression, opinion, and art for all people worldwide, expressing shock and disappointment at the inability of these two Iranian filmmakers to travel to Germany to showcase their film and engage with audiences in Berlin. Festival directors Carlo Chatrian and Mariette Rissenbeek stated, 'We urge Iranian authorities to return the passports of Behtash Sanaeiha and Maryam Maqdami and to end all restrictions preventing their free travel to Berlin so they can join other international directors and filmmaking talents at the Berlinale and present their new film.' Sanaeiha and Maqdami's previous film, 'The White Cow's Elegy,' participated in the main competitive section of the Berlin Festival in 2021 and received significant acclaim from audiences and art critics. The Berlin Film Festival concluded its statement by asserting that Sanaeiha and Maqdami have a long and distinguished history at the Berlinale and should be allowed to travel to Berlin this month. Somayeh Haqnegahdar, a documentary filmmaker and member of the Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran, expressed regret over the challenges faced by this couple and their cinematic collaboration, stating, 'The Islamic Republic has long sought to control and censor artists, especially filmmakers, through pressure; this control and censorship has often led to filmmakers being officially or unofficially banned from working and, in some cases, forced to leave their country.' Haqnegahdar noted, 'Specifically, after the Women, Life, Freedom movement, the Islamic Republic has taken clear and widespread actions to threaten, arrest, and suppress filmmakers who do not align with the regime's demands. There has been increased control over produced works, and the travel bans on many filmmakers continue as part of this control and suppression.' She pointed out, 'However, the absence of Iranian filmmakers invited to festivals and cinematic events has not gone unnoticed by the global cinematic community. The widespread international reactions reflect a growing awareness among the cinematic community in various countries regarding the situation of Iranian filmmakers under repression and censorship. On the one hand, this can increasingly discredit the Islamic Republic in the cinematic arena and make the repressive and anti-art nature of this government more apparent.' This report was prepared using the Berlin Film Festival's statement and previous reports from Voice of America.